Pittsburgh sports talk with the Trib columnist

Chat transcript: Bylsma’s mix and match

Here’s today’s chat transcript covering the Penguins’ pending line shuffle for Game 2, the Steelers’ remaining vacancies after the draft, and the Pirates’ still-glaring lack of starting pitching, plus more.

Dejan Kovacevic, a lifelong Pittsburgher, is an award-winning sports columnist for Trib Total Media covering the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates, Pitt and, recently, his fourth Olympics in Sochi, Russia. He also appears on WPXI-TV's 'Subway Final Word’ and hosts a weekly show on TribLIVE Radio. For 2011, he was named one of the country's top four columnists by the AP Sports Editors. For 2012, he was named one of the country's top three columnists by the National Headliners. For 2013, he was named the state's top columnist by the Keystone Press Awards and top columnist in Western Pennsylvania by the Golden Quills.

Comments

I understand Dejan’s logic in treating the Collins story for what it is, no big deal.

But, I have a hard time accepting that to be the truth. It would seem to me that if sexual orientation in male sports wasn’t a big deal, you wouldn’t have players – professional all the way down to youth – still afraid to come out.

The general population may think being gay is as different as being left handed, but I really, really doubt that sentiment extends into the locker room. Hopefully Collins bravery opens the floodgates, but I still get the feeling that it can’t hurt to discuss.

DK: I think you might have misinterpreted what I wrote. If you look again, NMR, I’m not coming close to suggesting the event itself isn’t a big deal. No one could dispute that. I’m just applauding the fact that it really didn’t make much of an impact, didn’t make anywhere near the talking point that most seemed to think it would.

I’m holding off on the bravery for now. He probably knew he wasn’t getting a contract anywhere next year before be came out. And if he doesn’t, oh how the league and owners will be vilified.

Martina Navratilova was far braver than he ever was 32 years ago.

DK: I’ll second you on Martina, Mr. 21, because tennis stars — especially living legends like her — make the bulk of their money from endorsement deals. Those apply even after retirement. By any reasonable estimation, Martina had more to lose by coming out than Collins.

Agree, about Martina. Not so sure about Collins. I don’t think he has any alternative motives in the timing. I think he just thought that it was time. He has made good money over his career and is extremely intelligent. I think he would have gotten a league minimum veteran contract regardless. He is still a good player and plays the right way. Great guy to have on your team for younger players to work with and learn from.

I think it has a lot to do with the ‘locker room’ mentality, but not strictly in a homophobic way. If Collins had been say, an integral piece of a high profile team rather than a bench warmner at the end of his career, then everyone on the team would have to shoulder some of the media crush.

Every city they went too, every interview would be the same 5-6 questions over an over and over….every Loss would be viewed through the context of “is the gay guy being a distraction”. Every slight mistep in grammar or joking comment would be painted as something it wasnt meant to be.

In short, a gay player comes out would negatively effect his whole life and his whole team. Even the players who couldnt care less and probably already knew would have to put up with some type of annoying media crush. Imagine what it would be like if E! network sent Perez Hilton into an NFl network with a microphone? Dont laugh. stuff like that WOULD happen.

But thankfully, like DK said, none of that seemed to happen. So maybe now more men/women will come out when its given the big “Meh”

Navritilova was truly courageous. I could be wrong but I don’t think hardly anybody was coming out on his or her own back then (Billie Jean King was outed), and certainly nobody of Navritilova’s stature. That said, it absolutely still was courageous of Jason Collins to step forward this week. For the remainder of his career there will be the little daggers thrown his way by the trash-talkers on the opposing team. And there will CERTAINLY be the idiot fans who will taunt him from the stands, in the hotel lobbies, and everywhere else he goes. If these fans can get their thrills by waiting behind a cordon just to yell “diarrhea!” at Chan Ho Park, you know they will taunt Collins. Collins had to know that this, among other far uglier realities, will forever now be unreversible, yet he made his decision and went forward.

The biggest hurdle will be an active NFL player I think. A lot of giant egos and bravado in those locker rooms as oppossed to other sports. Lots more ‘machismo’. Simply the fact that their are 50+ players on a team as opposed to 20-25 like other sports doubles the chances of one guy (M Wallace) saying something stupid.

I see in some of the remarks above a developing theme of “who is more brave?” or “how Jason Collins isn’t/wouldn’t be as brave as…” Come on people. Appreciate how hard this must have been for him as an individual and leave it at that. Do we really need to start a Bleacher Report-like ranking of “Who’s the bravest to come out?”

“I’m sure there will be some advanced metrics on the level of gayness.”
Excellent! 10 +’s.
But seriously, I get how we come to this place to hash things out and compare and basically enjoy chewing the fat. It’s in my blood too, as a sports fan. However, we might want to take a step back on just this one and let it stand for what it is. We can get back to the barstool debates on all the other stuff.

Drew did ya mean “wake up” and fall down.
Just curious, because I have that problem once in a while. I blame it on strong local gravity storms . Has absolutely nothing to do with large volumes of liquid bread consumed the prior evening.

He was head hunting; I agree shouldn’t be a game misconduct but its a dirty hit. Those types of hits should be banned period. Its like hitting a defenseless receiver in football. But Gryba’s intent was obvious.

If you go to youtube and watch the video of the hit on Eller my favorite part might be Subban standing up and pointing at the Ottawa bench. Kind of makes me chuckle. Is he going to leg stomp the Senators?